Bhaalspawn's Legacy: An Epilogue
by Bluemoon Wanderer
Summary: An adventurous, sometimes violent, sometimes happy, and sometimes sad journey after the Bhaalspawn's victory at the Throne of Bhaal. With a lover and child, Thomas of Candlekeep seeks a safer place to raise his offspring. Meanwhile, his companions begin to find themselves new adventures in the world. This is to be quite a long trek for these heroes of the Sword Coast.
1. Foreword

**A/N: Hello readers! This is my fanfiction, set only a few days after the events of Throne of Bhaal. The protagonist in this case is a Fighter/Mage called Thomas. This fanfiction isn** **'** **t a dramatic epic nor is it a 'correctional piece' for the after-story of the characters. Instead, my great fondness for the companions and their described after-stories made me think of some attempts to weave them into this fiction in a very prominent and hopefully fascinating way.**

 **This story is for me, a bit of nostalgia as well - both to my childhood imaginings and to an era when some of my favourite RPGs ever were made. Might and Magic's 6/7/8 were played to death by me in my childhood, and Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights stand as cherished memories too. Games like these brought me into rich fantasy worlds and encouraged me to read, to observe, to learn.**

 **So also, I wish to dedicate this story to everyone who participated in the great game that was and is 'Baldur's Gate', and to everyone who brought to life that adventure for me. You stole my breath with it then and you steal it now, and that is fantastic in of itself.**

 **I also wish to dedicate it to all the players that love our friends, the characters of the series! I'm afraid while I'm focusing this series on just a few, I'm sure some of you have spent time with the lovely and gentle Aerie, the valiant Keldorn, adorkable Anomen, the lil' cute justice kneecapper Mazzy, and of course, everyone's eternal little sister, Imoen. This protagonist may not have been your protagonist, but I hope his existence can celebrate everyone's wonderful ability to make a truly epic and unique character in this series.**

 **And onto the** ** _dramatis personae,_** **and then let this story of the surviving Child of Bhaal continue on…**

 **Thomas: A grandmaster of the bow, a student of the Art. With the complexion of a resident of the Sword Coast, grey eyes and short, dishevelled brown hair, he has an unextraordinary appearance. He uses some of his prized artifacts that he gathered on his adventures: The Circlet of Netheril, the Aslyferund Elven Chain, the Axe of the Unyielding, and the Bow of Gesen among them. He is a very flippant character, but with a gentle heart.**

 **Keldorn Firecam: A sadly minor character, for his fortunately heading into his retirement. The finest warrior in hand-to-hand combat of the group, he wielded the mighty blade Carsomyr and was clad in crimson dragon-scaled plate. Gentle, kind, a little gruff and sometimes overbearing, he is beloved by the group as a whole.**

 **Aerie: The lover of the Bhaalspawn, Thomas. An incredibly competent cleric of the exarch Baervan Wildwanderer, as well as one of the strongest casters of the Art in the realms, she is an incredibly potent force. Equipped with powerful rings, amulets, a blessed robe and helmet, she is as well-protected as any plated warrior, the Shield of Harmony offering her excellent protection while she proves her own melee competence as she wields the incredible relic, Crom Faeyr. From afar, she** **'** **s a bit of a marksman with the Erinne Sling.**

 **Imoen of Candlekeep: The childhood friend of the protagonist. A loveable rogue of a girl, with both thieving skills and the Art at her disposal. With the bow Tansheron on her back, and dual-wielding both Angurvadal and the Dagger of the Star, while she girds herself in elven chain-mail, she is no trifle to be reckoned with - underestimating her determination or cunning is a fatal mistake.**

 **Anomen Delryn: A formerly arrogant knight aspirant, now a righteous and far more humble knight of Helm. A close friend of the protagonist and an ardent pupil of sorts to Keldorn, though their relationship is largely informal. With the Storm Star mace in his hands, neither his fighting prowess nor his skill with the Power granted by Helm are matters to be scorned. A valiant bastion of courage for the group, he tends to be easily teased by Imoen.**

 **Mazzy Fentan: A loyal servant of Arvoreen, and the most dauntless warrior of the group. Some say her weapon, a blade infamous as the Cutthroat, is gaining itself a bold new reputation as weapon that destroys evil. Outpacing all but Keldorn in her skill in the melee, she is a stoic champion of good, sometimes a little too serious.**

And now our story begins, in the Starspire Tavern, Tethyr…


	2. Chapter 1

Thomas smiled as he nursed the young Quayle in his arms. "You know, I never figured I'd be naming you after that gnome." He gently touched the baby's nose, who squealed in delight. Aerie sat down beside Thomas, and laid her head against his should, her blonde hair cascading down his chest as she gently stroked her babe's cheek. Thomas passed her his son, and they smiled, bewitched by their off-spring's cuteness.

"Awww, you guys! It's so cute. Geez Thomas, I didn't think you'd be a daddy in two years when you set out from Candlekeep oh so long ago." Imoen sighed dreamily. "It's so sweet, but it's been such a wild ride."

"Aside from the occasional stop at an inn for a day or two, it's been non-stop action, hasn't it." Thomas breathed a sigh, his arm comfortably encircling his beloved's waist. "It's hard to believe there's not someone I have to pursue, or a city to save, or a plot to stop, some sort of assassin to thwart…"

"That being said, Thomas," Anomen interjected, his tone not unkind, "I certainly must advise you to be wary, my friend." He drank from the hot brewed coffee they all enjoyed, a bit of an odd choice for the tavern they happened across. "Until this Bhaal debacle quietens down, it is likely you will find a hound or two on your divine scent."

Aerie stuck her chin out confidently. "Don't worry. Thomas and I are more than capable of dealing with them. I mean, we've gone to hell and back, and slain how many dragons together?"

Thomas counted off his fingers. After sacrificing some of his wits in Spellhold, he often found himself embarrassingly forgetting how to collect his thoughts. "Uh, let's see. Firkraag, Thaxxy-shadow-something, that black one Irenicus hired, blandly named Draconis and that Abi-guy. Abigail?"

Aerie giggled. "You really are terrible with names, my love!"

"Why do you think I was so relieved to hear you'd thought of a name already! Thinking of one for our boy here would give me nightmares."

Imoen snickered. "I remember when we played in the woods, you would grab a stick and claim it was your magic sword, and you'd change the name every week -"

"Alright alright enough of my embarrassing childhood, you're getting Aerie too interested."

They all laughed at the table, and Keldorn smiled a little sadly.  
"I do miss my darling Maria and my sweet daughters when I see you both. Alas, my friends, I was more than honoured to see this great quest through, but it's time I lived up to my word and retired for good."

All present looked up at him. Mazzy was the first to speak.  
"Oh Sir Keldorn, it has been my great privilege to serve alongside you."

"And you, brave soldier of Arvoreen. Your goddess must be proud to have watched over your valiance these last few months."

"Teacher, it was also my privilege to have learned much of the role of a knight from you." Anomen smiled, and stood to offer a bow to Keldorn, who laughed and smiled.

"Ah, that I could help you grow into the fine knight you have become was my privilege too, young Sir Anomen." Keldorn turned to his last three companions, and smiled. "It was also a rare thing for any paladin to hold such wondrous arms as you presented me with in our journey, Thomas."

"Keep them. Carsomyr and the dragonscale armour," Thomas said with a smile. "Surely Tyr can be no more proud to see his holy blade in the hands of the great hero that fought with me."

"I retire from questing, though, Thomas."

"I insist. At least Carsomyr - I would not wish the treasure from our journey to disrupt the peace of your life with thieves and bandits."

Keldorn paused but nodded slowly. "As you wish. I am sure the Order of the Radiant Heart would be glad to pass it on after my death, as well."

"Oh don't talk about death like that, Keldorn!" Imoen said exasperatedly, and Keldorn smiled. "I will miss your bright smile, Imoen."

"Thomas, Aerie."

Both looked up, Aerie smiling gently as she breastfed the young Quayle at her seat.

"It has been my pleasure to serve with you both… And see your blooming love as well. I wish from the bottom of my heart that Tyr, Torm, and Ilmater bless you and your son with long life, fruitful love and a joyous childhood."

Both of them blushed and smiled, overjoyed at his blessings, though of but word and the heart rather than a divine incantation it was of infinite value to them.  
"Oh thank you Keldorn! That was so sweet of you," Aerie said, looking almost like she was going to tear up. "We've been together so long… Please do visit sometime, I'm sure Quayle would love to see you again!"

"I'm sure. But for now, I must give my own fruitful love and devotion to my only family - Tyr knows I've neglected that duty long enough."

"Goodbye, Sir Keldorn," Thomas smiled, a little sadly. "If it weren't for you, I'm not sure I would have been able to defeat many of the foes we faced. I am forever in your debt."

"Nonsense friend, we are brothers. Nothing is owed on the battlefield - all is shared, the glory, the honour, and the courage."

It was with such words, that Keldorn departed. Even as he went to the upper floor to collect his belongings, they had begun to miss his presence.

"But, he will be much happier with his wife and children," Aerie said, brushing away a tear as she smiled, attentively cradling Quayle. "I know now how precious the family you make is…"

Thomas brought himself extra close to his lover. Indeed, he had feared for a moment something in his mind - some divine instinct, perhaps - would have tempted him to accept that claim to godhood when he had the chance.

But… no. He knew greater than walking the planes, or being worshipped by mortals, or becoming the reborn Bhaal, by whatever form that might be, that his love that he found with Aerie was infinitely more desirable. And, his newborn son, a treasure to his heart.

In addition to that treasure of course, he also had a massive amount of coin at this point. Thomas had at least 40,000 gold stored in a bank in Baldur's Gate, and a good 60,000 in Athkatla. Granted the host of magical items he had stored at this point, he was considering what was the most responsible way to deal with it.

"To be honest, I have been putting much thought into where I should go from here," Mazzy began. "I would much like the two of you to be able to have some peace of mind when you put some time into raising your son, and as such I am thinking of forming an order of sorts. Knights, with monster-hunting rather than fiefdoms as our focus."

"That sounds admirable, and I appreciate it. The Realms will be a safer place with you spearheading an order of guardians, Mazzy. You too were indispensable to us."

"Frankly, we were all pretty awesome and impossible to do without," chattered Imoen happily, to which Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Yes, particularly when you set off traps before looking at them. For the love of Ilmater, you made me nearly have a heart-attack when you set off that entire corridor of traps in the Graveyard of Athkatla," Thomas said, chuckling ruefully. "But are you sticking around, Imoen? I mean, you're welcome to stay with Aerie and I as long as you like."

"Nah, I'm heading back to Candlekeep. I wanna have some quiet time for a change. We've been through a lot, and I need some time… to myself," she said, with a tired look in her eye. It pained Thomas a little to see, and he nodded slowly.

"You'll do wonderfully there, Imoen. Oh, I hope I can visit sometime," Aerie said with a smile. "I'd love to see where you grew up."

Thomas laughed a little embarrassedly. "I wish it would be more exciting, but I'm afraid it's a small library with a fairly scant level of accommodation and entertainment."

Imoen made a kicking motion towards her friend. "Aw, shuddup Thomas. It'd be great to see Winthrop. Man, I'm gonna blabber to him all about how you saved the world and got a beautiful elf wife!" Aerie blushed and giggled as Thomas reddened a little.

"Sheesh. After everything we've gone through, I'm still spooked by Winthrop's smug expressions," he grinned. "Hey, where's Anomen? I was going to ask him about his future plans."

"I think he went upstairs to talk with Keldorn."

Thomas shrugged, then spread out a map of Faerun on the table.  
"I was wondering where Aerie and I might venture next.. What do you think my love? Perhaps Candlekeep along with Imoen, and we set out somewhere from there." Aerie nodded. "Sounds good! Wow… to think we can travel anywhere we want to. And as some of the most powerful heroes on Faerun!"

Thomas grinned. "Yeah. We're the best."

"Oh Thomas, we must see Uncle Quayle first! I want to show him our son."

Thomas snickered. "I think he'll be flattered. And surprised, I daresay. How about we travel north, to Silverymoon, beloved?"

Aerie gasped and beamed brightly. "I've only heard tales of such a place!"

"I, too! Gorion spoke at length about how it was a city of good, that evil was denied any form of presence or entry. Perhaps it would be a good place to stay a while, and focus on young Quayle a while…. I don't want to risk our dear son's life anymore than our journey has already. And, I'm quite ready to spend some of our days in peace and quiet."

Aerie beamed happily and hugged her lover as she cradled Quayle between them, Thomas smiling down at his son, bewitched by their happiness.

Anomen politely knocked on Keldorn Firecam's door.

"Come in. Ah, young Anomen. Was there something you wished to speak about?"

"Yes… Teacher, I feel… worried. My faith feels questioned."

Keldorn placed down the bag of gear on the bed, glancing seriously at the young knight. "Speak your mind, please. This is not unusual for a knight, let me assure you."

Anomen sighed, leaning against the wall. "Being with Thomas all this time - his near-ascent to Godhood… the other Bhaalspawn's attempts to the same goal, and Irenicus as well. Is the cosmos only ruled by such delicate justice that it was us alone that could have prevented such an evil taking place? Is balance so important to the gods that an evil could have prevailed after all this senseless, awful bloodshed across the Sword Coast for this 'divine essence'? Being with Thomas all this time has made me… doubtful. I find it hard to see how it was duty, or justice, that lead to any of this. Thomas is a good man, yet his faith in the gods is a gentle thing and his whims lead him to seek out evil for almost enjoyment, sometimes."

Keldorn nodded wordlessly.

"Anomen, you will have to find your own answer. But I tell you - for me, it was knowing for what we championed our cause for. For the precious things the gods have given us. And the precious things that empower us. Love, justice, sacrifice, duty. In the end, they prevailed. Both in our battle against the last of those Bhaalspawn, and in Thomas's heart itself."

Anomen nodded, yet he still felt the question lingering in his heart. "Perhaps I shall journey on my own a while longer. I am certain the Order can do without one knight for awhile."

"Do as you deem fit, Anomen. You are of exemplary character and great courage. But I remind you to not forget the things you have learned while fighting alongside us."

"Never, teacher. It was my honour, truly, to have been a companion on this journey."

Keldorn smiled, and the two men shared a brotherly embrace. "Goodbye, young Anomen, and safe journey."


	3. Chapter 2

The road north from their inn in the Starspire Mountians was long, but the horses they had purchased to ride made the trip much shorter. While Keldorn had considered riding with them the rest of the way, he was understandably eager to return to his family, and Thomas and Aerie were planning on a more leisurely trip to accommodate their younger one. Nevertheless, Anomen, Imoen and Mazzy were happy to accompany them at their slow pace.

"Say friend, do you suppose the Tethyrian military still wish for your death, Thomas?" Mazzy asked, curious from atop her stallion. Aerie covered her mouth with a short gasp and glanced at Thomas, who frowned in thought.

"… I suppose they do. I imagine once they hear the full story they'll call it off, though. I feel bad that those men did not listen to reason… those were good military men." Thomas bit his lip.

Mazzy nodded slowly. "They did your duty and you did yours. A much worse fate would have befallen this world had you not pressed on to defeat Melissan."

Aerie smiled at her lover reassuringly from her mount, who offered a small smile back. She knew Thomas had often considered his divine legacy a great curse in its own way - despite his rough and violent fighting style, his bravado and sharp, mocking tongue against his evil opponents, he was a man of surprising gentleness and charity.

Aerie smiled down at the sleeping Quayle. "You're going to cause mommy a lot of sleepless nights, you know?" She kissed her little one and giggled. She was lucky she had not so far suffered the infamous crying baby of the midnight hour yet.

When she had first met Thomas, he had approached her with a rather scary look on his face - she was awfully terrified. And then, he had looked confused - then relaxed, oddly trusting as she spoke. He handed over the sword without a doubt. How strangely trusting of him.

He would do that - volunteer his belief in people, even when - like Saemon would let him down time and time again. He would almost playfully scorn his opponents, and Aerie would marvel at his bravery - yet how much did it look silly, when he'd make a quip before a pivotal battle.

Indeed, she slowly realized as they accompanied each other, it was his way of keeping his courage, his temper, and his spirit. Aerie's misunderstanding of his manner at first had been a source of her confusion of feelings about him and Haer'Dalis.

But she realized that to Haer'Dalis, she was a precious jewel - less of a lover than something to be loved, jealously so. As for Thomas - he had never shown jealousy before. Nor had he ever seemed to be jealous or worried about her attentions, even as he began to open up to her.

But he had stared him in the eye and staunchly refused to fight and refused to give up his feelings for her. She reddened a little - she had felt quite ashamed in her own way to have caused such a conundrum for him.

Yet… she felt beyond blessed to have him, and her little Quayle now too. A family, all of her own.

"Lady Aerie, you seem very pleased with your thoughts," spoke Anomen with a smile. Aerie nodded. "Do I really look so happy?" She laughed and cradled Quayle gently. "I just was reminiscing about.. about how I met Thomas…"

Anomen chuckled. "You two go well together. Your gentleness brings out the good in him, I think."

"Really? I thought of him as a gentle man already."

"A gentle soul he may be, but for a man who lives a life filled with blood, we begin to slowly resemble the company we keep. For my fortune, the good company we have become has certainly helped me to grow from a truly unforgivably proud boy into someone more befitting a knight."

Aerie giggled. "You certainly were full of yourself back then, Anomen."

Anomen nearly gaped for a moment. "You do know how to say something sharp a little too sweetly to be innocent, Lady Aerie."

"Oh don't worry. She's not all that innocent," Thomas snarkily commented as he rode beside them. Aerie blushed and turned to look accusingly at Thomas, who laughed. Anomen rolled his eyes. "Surely I have had enough of Imoen's vile talk without you making jests of such things, Thomas!"

"Vile, me? Come on Anomen, don't be a stick in the mud!" Imoen chuckled as she brought her horse up beside him, grinning mischievously.

"You deliberately try to get a rise out of me on plenty of occasions with your crude talk, girl."

"A rise, eh?" Imoen said, raising her eyebrows and smiling a little too innocently. Aerie laughed and Thomas snorted, and the two ran ahead.

"Cowards! Don't leave me to battle this one alone!" Called out Anomen, sighing and then laughing in spite of himself.

"Aw. I'll miss you Anomen."

"Pff. Likewise. Your spells and.. other skills have been quite satisfactory." Anomen replied.

"Aww, you said you'd miss me too! That's so sweet."

"What's sweet about it?"

"Nothing. But you know, are you thinking of doing something dangerous? You've had a weird look in your eye since we finished that business with… Bhaal and all that."

Anomen looked ahead resolutely, frowning. She was oddly perceptive or he was much too easy to see through.

"Nary a thought."

"Hey. Take this, okay?" Anomen turned, and felt a little startled by the girls closeness. She dropped a Rogue Stone into his palm, her hand lingering over his. "I've thrown a lil enchantment onto it. I was planning on giving this one to Thomas, but I figured I'd just make another one. If you need help, I'll be there for you-" She broke off, with a little tremble in her voice as Anomen's leathery palm of the gauntlet closed about her hand, gently.

"Thank you, Imoen." He released her hand, holding the rogue stone tight as he withdrew it. Imoen had felt her cheeks still filled with colour as Anomen stared ahead.

He really was troubled, she realized. Perhaps, in that small way, she had helped him more than she thought she could have.

The grassy plains of the Lands of Intrigue stretched on as they travelled north, a welcome relief to the desert borders of Calimshan and Tethyr. Yet they soon approached the land that they feared would bring difficulty - the land of Muranndin.

Formerly of Amn, a rebellion lead by ogre mages changed the dynamic of power in the region. Ogres and orcs were now the chief leaders of the region, evil creatures in general, or at best those who felt largely more fear than wickedness or in rare occasions, duty rather than ambition.

"Bad news, my friends. A few ogres act as toll collectors directly ahead," said Mazzy, returning from where she had scouted ahead on her steed.

"A shame they couldn't have been trolls. Then they could have asked for troll tolls. Aha." Thomas said, his laugh with so devoid of enthusiasm and his joke so utterly devoid of humour that an eyeroll was brought to anyone who heard it. Aerie still smirked in spite of herself.

"What do you plan to do, Thomas?" asked Imoen, bringing her horse to a halt.

"Eh. Well, we'll just pay them if it's some pittance they ask for. If not, I'll negotiate. If not, well, we all know what happens next."

The ogres awaited them, one quite well armoured while the other looked to be something of mage. Thomas knew better than to underestimate any ogre magi - the creatures that could cast spells tended to cast them quite efficiently, being their main mode of combat, and ogres were all about combat.

"We ask moneys for the passage!" The ogre snorted when they came in range. "Where you goes is part of fee."

"Amn, Athkatla. My companions and I go there on a one-way trip through your lands, good fellow," Thomas replied politely.

The ogre grinned broadly. "You good at procedure. Right. 500 gold per head."

"How about 300?"

"Grrr. Laws is not bargaining matter."

"Aye, but we're talking about your finder's fee, right? I'm sure 350 per head would give you more than enough pocket money for you to spend later. I mean, neither of us well-armed gentlemen would want to lose anything worse than a few coins over a simple procedure, right?"

The ogre grunted. Thomas was glad the ogre had understood his point - the fellow seemed rather bright in spite of his limited vocabulary.

"Is good. 350 per head then. No more bargainings."

"Don't fear, Thomas of Candlekeep always keeps his word."

"Eh?!" The ogre backed off. "Wait. You friend with the Fireman, right?"

"The fireman? What?" Thomas blinked. Anomen chuckled. "Keldorn Firecam, correct? Yes, we are his former companions."

The ogre bowed suddenly, a little cravenly. "My mistake. Is alright. Is, uh, already paid. You go go now."

Thomas glanced at his companions. Aerie looked surprised as he, while Mazzy looked she'd already understood what had transpired. Imoen grinned and shrugged.

"Fair enough. Thank you good ogre - keep up your fine duty."

Thomas laughed as they rode out of eyesight of the toll collectors. "I wonder how Keldorn put the fear of his wrath into them."

Imoen snickered. "Come on, big knight with a big sword like that, he probably looked like the big guy Torm himself."

"He's not 'the big guy', girl, he's the god of duty," Anomen chided at her rather unpious wording, to which she rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue.

"Sorrrrry. Big duty god, Torm."

"Oh Helm, why do you test me so."

"Maybe Helm wants you to lighten up a bit, Anny!"

"I'll have no pet names out of you, Immy."

"Woah, now I have to call you Anny."

Anomen looked both annoyed and surprised at her lack of objection.

"Oh that's sweet, you two are already at pet names," Thomas quipped as he looked back at them, grinning broadly. Anomen shot a sharp glare while Imoen stuck her tongue out.

"Yeah yeah, cool big brother Thomas got a wife and thinks he's a master of love now, we get it," Imoen retorted, not unkindly but with enough barb to make Thomas flinch as Aerie giggled.

"Master of love, hm?" Aerie asked him, smiling with what could be uncharacteristically described as sly. He returned the smile himself, and Anomen snorted.

"Celebrate your little unions in private, please. And for the sake of your son, out of earshot."

"You think such 'vile' thoughts, Anomen! We're just talking about how lovely it is to hold hands and smile at each other fondly!" Thomas chortled.

Mazzy found herself smiling, to the point where it nearly ached to keep smiling. She found herself giving a short laugh, attracting the attention of the small group.

"Mazzy, you laughed."  
"You laughed!"

Mazzy glanced between the surprised Thomas and Imoen before noticing the whole group was staring at her.

"..Wh, what? Friends, why do you stare at me so? 'tis natural to laugh when one is happy."

"I don't think I've heard you laugh before, though," Thomas mumbled, while Imoen beamed at her brightly. "You have a really pretty laugh though, Mazzy!"

The halfling champion blushed slightly. "I… I see, I, ah, thank you."

The whole group was exchanging amused glances, till Mazzy finally frowned.

"Alright, enough of your bewilderment, please! It is natural to laugh, I will endeavour to make this occasion less unusual!"

Thomas guffawed with laughed and Anomen found himself chuckling so much he could barely keep his balance on his horse.

"Come on you guys, don't laugh that much, it's rude!" Imoen chided, while Aerie sighed. "Men can be really insensitive like that Mazzy, don't mind them please."

Their laughter carried on the wind as they began to ascend the Small Teeth mountains, pushing into the land of Amn.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all for reading so far! What follows is one of my first attempts in this fanfiction to write in an action scene. While I'm no R.A. Salvatore, I hope the rather short battle is entertaining in its own right.  
My own prose is somewhat sparse compared to other writers as well, but I would definitely appreciate your feedback in that regard. Would more descriptions and information be good? Or is there plenty of room left for the readers' imaginations?  
That aside, please read on and enjoy!**

Rungraz, clad in his bear fur and enchanted, blood-strewn hides, slapped the face of the female as she grasped at his leg. Despicably the green bitch had tried to stop him from carrying the babe to the altar of Gruumsh. The women about him were sobbing, no man present save for a few young boys in sight.

Placing the green runt on the altar in its cloth, he pulled back the hood of his robe, his cruel and ugly face exposed to the light of day.

"Gruumsh, God of the Orc! I present to you this gift, blood of my blood and seed of my seed! Let his innocent, unblemished murder be a joyful sacrifice to your glory!"

The orcish women screamed as the ritual knife shone in the sun, the nightmare that had repeated itself for years for all of them returning unblemished to their minds.

Aerie had shuddered suddenly near the campfire, and Thomas moved to place one of his blankets about her. She smiled at him and leaned against his shoulder, brushing her finger against young Quayle's soft, chubby cheek that he held in his other arm.

"I wasn't cold my love, but thank you. It feels good… to be embraced by you." Thomas fondly kissed her forehead, leaning his own head atop hers, her soft golden hair a joy for him to touch.

"Was something on your mind?"

"I, um… Well, I think it was a vision, or something. I felt like there's something important further up the road - I, I saw… some sort of arena, with two figures in it… There was someone really cruel in it, whom everyone watching was afraid of, and then a really brave soul standing against him. I, I think that soul was you, Thomas."

Thomas chuckled. "Thank you, my love. I would take any opportunity to stop evil from hurting others. But everyone here is brave, too, you know. You, braver than I."

"Oh, oh nonsense Thomas! You've been the one giving me courage."

"And who was there to make sure with a loving family that I wasn't such a darned fool as to run away from my mortal life? Or to remind me not to bury up the losses, the chaos of the deaths behind us in Amn, Spellhold, the Underdark and Saradush and then forget them?" Thomas stared into Aerie's calm, radiant blue eyes, as her lips parted gently in astonishment.

"It was you, my love. It takes a brave and great soul to see death and find greater hope still. Braver than I." Thomas pressed his forehead against hers, and both of them closed their eyes softly, enjoying the simple yet intimate sensation of closeness.

"Then I can give something back to you for what you did for me, Thomas… You made me able to fly again." Her eyes brimmed with joyful tears, and Thomas found himself shedding a tear for the first time since Gorion's death.

"T-Thomas, you're…"

"Shh. It's a secret that I can cry." Aerie giggled and quickly pecked his lips, Thomas beaming happily, before Quayle began to cry suddenly.

"Uh oh. Does he uh, need a new cloth?" Thomas asked, scratching his head helplessly.

"He's just hungry!"

"Geez, I hope I get better at reading him as he gets older then." Thomas brushed the hair from his forehead, grinning sheepishly.

"Come my love, let's rest after I put Quayle to sleep." She patted the bedroll gently, and Thomas passed Quayle over to Aerie before he shuffled over to underneath the thick linen quilt.

Quayle hungrily fed from Aerie's breasts, and Thomas couldn't help but smile as he watched. For once, he could see life coming from a legacy that had been filled with little but death.

When daylight came, all five were once more mounted, cleanly putting out the campfire and freeing their steeds from their makeshift lean-to as they had departed. The grasslands began to become more barren as rocky crags and spires signalled the rougher terrain of the Small Teeth mountains.

Thomas held his half-elven son in his arms as he rode, gently cradling him as they pressed onward. So calmly he slept, and it brought joy to his heart. The sense of peace after their victory had been a strange one at first - there was a void inside of it, as if he was still ready for an assassin to whisk him away to another land, or for a dream of Bhaal and the Abyss to suddenly reveal his blood's cursed hidden aspects.

Yet - no, the sense of peace which told him 'that chapter is over' was no longer uncomfortable. It was now a reassurance, that his life laid within his hands - not all was clear, nothing was a guarantee, but a hopeful freedom laid within his hands… and in the small, baby hands of his son, too.

"Young Quayle, you'll grow up to be a bigger lad than your father, probably," Thomas commented with a little smirk. At 170 centimetres, he was the shortest male of their group even with Keldorn present, who towered at 191 centimetres himself.

"Aerie, what is it?" Mazzy inquired, noting Aerie's distracted stare down a rocky pathway off the main road. All suddenly looked up as they heard a horribly pained, fearful shriek. Quayle woke up, beginning to cry.

Thomas held him close, smiling gently. "It's alright, my son. Be brave. You can cry in my arms, it's alright."

Aerie blushed as she looked at Thomas, and Anomen rolled his eyes, albeit with a small, brief smile. "Those two are so incredibly saccharine."

"Aw, I like it. You never saw them smile this much during our old adventure, you know?" Imoen said to Anomen, frowning slightly.

"I never said I didn't like it."

Imoen giggled and Anomen decided he would rather pretend he had not heard her.

"We'd best investigate," Mazzy declared firmly, quietly enough so the baby's cries wouldn't be instigated further. "If someone is in trouble, we should be sure to lend aid."

"I agree, 'twould be remiss of us not to lend aid where we could," Anomen replied with a nod. Thomas gave a brief nod to him, and Anomen slowly began to trot down the path, leading the horses while Thomas busied himself with calming Quayle, whose cries had changed now to a more relaxed murmuring and giggling.

Their horses trotted down the slope carefully, the rocky crags difficult to manoeuvre. Thomas kept Quayle strapped to his body as they descended, not willing to leave his safety to providence or chance given the dangerous ground.

"Look ahead - 'tis an encampment." Mazzy gesture towards the peaks of some large tents, as well as a stone pillar that was well hidden behind a group of rocky spires, the 'teeth' of the mountain that littered the range. "Were I to venture a guess, it is likely that of orcs or ogrekind."

"Perhaps they have taken prisoners," Anomen suggested. "It would explain the howl of fear we heard from the main road."

Aerie shuddered. "Ooh, I can't stand the idea of anyone being locked up so horribly like that! Just thinking about it… Thomas, we must save them!"

"We will, my love. Let us proceed into the camp directly, everyone. Mazzy, I can cloak you in invisibility if you are willing to scout ahead."

"But of course, sire." Mazzy dismounted, and Aerie cantered over to receive the babe from Thomas's arms as he too dismounted to cast his daily incantation of 'Invisibility'. A few words, and a shimmer of arcane energy were all that was needed to the layman's glance to sheathe Mazzy's form out of visible light.

Mazzy walked down the pathway towards the orc village. It was filled with an unearthly quiet - and as she looked about the village, she saw she had made a slight mistake.

The villagers were all half-orcs - with varying levels of orc blood. They were entirely women and children, their faces sunken with despair. They did nothing but mill about their tents, talking quietly amongst themselves, with the resignation Mazzy had only seen with solders on a front line of battle: too tired of being afraid of death to show any more emotion. Where once had been panic was now numbness.

Children were kept in cages, sometimes with their mothers. Boys seemed to be the preference for being restrained. Mazzy bristled with a sense of righteous fury, only all the more stoked as she saw atop the bloodied altar, a male orc - no, half-orc - kneeling. An effigy of Gruumsh was wrapped about a pillar, and the sense of evil was palpable.

Yet… he had no guards. No servants. He was obviously a mage or cleric, some sort of shaman perhaps, so perhaps that was the source of his power.

"Enough of this," Mazzy spat, and drew her sword. "Warlock, atop your altar!" She yelled in a challenging voice. "Your evil ends this day. Descend and do battle with me!"

The half-orc women turned to stare at her dully, while the ones in the cages quivered in fear. The shaman chuckled as he pulled back his hood.

"By all means, brave halfling, cut through these innocent puppets. Of course their wills are under my control - but surely a few innocents are reasonable to sacrifice for destroying a great evil?" He chuckled.

"You address Rungraz, foolish halfling, the great chosen half-orc of Gruumsh himself!" He cackled, and Mazzy heard her companions run into the village.

"Mazzy! Are you alright!?" Thomas called out, quickly preparing his sequencer in the case of battle.

"Careful, my friends! He has the women of this camp in a spell!" Mazzy bit her lip. She didn't want to have to hurt any of these, his victims, if she could help it.

Thomas glared daggers towards the half-orc priest. "Coward. Hiding behind the flesh of women - is that what Gruumsh seeks from his followers now?"

"Quiet, whelp!" Rungraz snapped. "You know nothing of my great god!"

"You MONSTER!"

The group sharply turned their head to hear the strong, ice-clad voice that had given her condemnation.

Aerie.

"You, you pathetic, manipulative, child-murdering bastard…!" Aerie grit her teeth, her blue eyes livid with rage. "Using your magic to make these women submit to you, then killing their babies…" She shook, trembling.

"What do you mean, Aerie…?" Imoen asked, and Anomen placed his hand on her shoulder, pointing towards the altar.

An orc baby had bled out in the sun, pinned by a sharp knife to the altar.

"Caging them… Killing them… That's ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVABLE!" Aerie screamed.

Thomas looked about him, and saw what she saw.  
Though of course she was glad to be free again, he knew that seeing these caged women and children would have brought back all of those torturous memories of her life after her kidnapping.

The trauma of it was fresh in her mind - the pain in her words was audible to the group.

Rungraz snarled. "Pathetic, wingless bird. My lord shows me you are an avariel, but where are your wings? Did they fly off to leave you like dung upon the earth?"

Aerie's hair blew about her features in the howling mountain wind.

"In Baervan's name… by everything that gives a damn about us, by every god and being that upholds good, I will kill you, one on one, Rungraz!"

Thomas watched, breathing in gently. Imoen stared at him in shock, bewildered by his calm.

"This is her test, Imoen." Thomas cradled Quayle gently, as a circle of orcish women, shuffling like zombies, formed a circle around Aerie and Rungraz.

The words were what he knew he had to say, for now he could not undermine Aerie's fury. This wasn't about her pride, or proving a point about mercy or justice. This was about vengeance. This was about Aerie's peace. Not destroying every slaver or puppeteer of souls, but about stopping this horror from happening again to these people.

These orcish women - stereotyped as ugly and evil - Aerie saw them as victims, and had pledged herself to their cause.

For all of her kindness, and for all of her righteous fury, Thomas knew he had to support her more than anything.

Rungraz crackled his knuckles.

"Then, as servants of our gods, let us see who is the most favoured!"  
The half-orc slammed his hands to the ground, the earth quaking beneath Aerie and his feet, fissures of energy bursting forth from the ground. Aerie swiftly moved as her first Contingency spell activated, her spell's haste granting her quick and safe movement across the shattered ground, as she circled the half-orc.

"Pathetic elf. There's no justice like your little good gods offer. This world is Gruumsh's - the orc eats and the weak are meat!"  
Flame strikes rapidly seared the areas in their little arena, Aerie quickly activating a sequencer of spell turning, and a globe of invulnerability. Rungraz snarled as his flamestrike was easily deflected, and began to channel his power more effectively.

"Then, little elf, I'll let you witness TRUE destructive power!"

"Bring it on, you bastard!" Aerie yelled, casting another spell unrecognizable to the half-orc shaman, teleporting herself forward. Immediately, she began to channel another spell - the summoning of a planetar.

Rungraz began to cackle. Such a lengthy incantation was of no concern to him - the spell he had prepared would activate first, and with his amulet of spell-piercing humming as he brought it to life, he felt his victory assured.

Thomas's eyes widened suddenly, fear gripping him. "Aeri-"

Just as his lover raised her arms at the climax of her spell's incantation, a blast of magical energy launched straight from Rungraz's hands, disintegrating the cleric to dust.

Quayle gave a sharp scream suddenly, as he watched his father's face distort in a terrifying way, a sort of horror one can only experience when seeing a waking nightmare. Still securely held in his father's shaking arm, he saw the man holding him tremble and fall to his knees.

"AERIE!" Thomas screamed , and Anomen and Mazzy felt the sinking feeling of despair well in their hearts. The pain in Thomas's voice was beyond any they had heard him utter before. It was truly

Rungraz howled with victory, and grinned at Thomas as he turned to look at him. "You pathetic fool - your little elfling is dead!" His grotesque mouth parted to laugh once more, his spittle flying from his mouth as it froze in mid-air.

Thomas's hot tears had stilled on his face. His eyes couldn't move, but his brain could think. Hope reignited in his heart once more then, along with a startling understanding of his lover's genius.

Aerie had clearly projected her image and somehow turned her real form invisible in the meantime without giving away her plan.

Then, she had cast the lengthy spell 'Time Stop' while her fake projection had appeared to be conjuring - a cunning plan.

And a cunning plan that was fatal for Rungraz. Indeed, he probably never had any real understanding of this series of events like a true practitioner of the Art would, because as Thomas understood all these events, and Rungraz doubtless found himself utterly bewildered, Crom Faeyr was descending upon upraised arm.

And as time resumed, the evil half-orc's arm splattered its internal viscuous fluids and bone all over the rocks of the mountainous camp, his thick blood shimmering and falling to the ground as it collided with Aerie's globe of invulnerability. He howled, screaming, and the orcish women about him began to snap out of their reverie, his pain igniting their consciousness.

"You, you did this! Cheat, cheat, deceiver! YOU SHATTERED MY ARM!" Rungraz was hysterical, his crimson, cursed eyes bulging as he howled at the elven cleric.

Crom Faeyr made a whistling sound through the air as it was whirled about the avariel's body like a toy, its sheer force ripping off one of the half-orc's legs. Screaming, the pathetic caster slipped, falling into the mud, his blood gushing from his wounded and turning the mud to murky red-green ooze beneath him.

Finally, the mighty hammer descended a final time, utterly crushing and shattering his chest. Both heart and lungs decimated, there was only one last instance of unbelievable pain before Rungraz finally was brought through the gate of death.

Aerie gasped for breath, tears of rage and fear falling down her cheeks. "O-oh," she breathed out, staring at her bloody victory in shock.

"Did I… Did I do that? Oh Thomas, I, I.."

Thomas quickly ran over, a crying Quayle in his arms as he embraced his lover, all three united in a tear-filled embrace while Imoen sighed in relief.

"Pheeew. I thought he'd totally notice me casting that invisibility cantrip on her…" Imoen sighed in relief as she dropped onto her butt, smiling in relief. "Thomas, that scream nearly stole the soul outta me. I'm sorry Thomas, I should have told you earlier…"

"It's fine," Thomas muttered, still shaking as he embraced his wife and child. "You both did magnificently, but…"

Aerie and Thomas's eyes met, and Thomas's jaw trembled gently.

"I was so scared," he said, and for the first time, Aerie saw just how much bravery she could give to him with her love.

It was not about fearing to bloody oneself with the destruction of evil, such a thing was briefly shocking. Aerie loved Thomas so much that he had become the one she feared most to lose, she knew that from the moment he was offered divinity. And it was to her immense joy that she was the same to him.

And then finally, she understood the meaning of her vision. She wrapped her arms around her lover's neck and kissed him.

"There there, my love. And there there, dear Quayle," she said, lifting Quayle into her arms, her motherly smile slowly banishing the fear and uncertainty in her son's eyes. 


End file.
